Memory Controller SPO Data Atomicity via Temporal Buffering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Memory systems face challenges in ensuring rapid shut-down and atomicity during sudden power-offs (SPO), which can lead to data loss and increased recovery times due to interference among memory regions and the need for larger capacitors to stabilize power.
Innovation Solution
A controller that buffers data chunks, sorts them by type, generates map data indicating relationships between chunks and memory regions, and stores this information in a temporal memory region, allowing for efficient command scheduling and reduced interference, thereby enabling rapid shut-down and reduced capacitor requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If data is sorted and stored in multiple memory regions according to data types during normal operation, then data organization and retrieval efficiency are improved, but during sudden power-off, interference among memory regions increases and atomicity cannot be guaranteed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a temporal memory region as an intermediary that temporarily stores all data chunks during normal operation, regardless of their type. This mediator allows the system to maintain the sorted storage structure for efficiency while providing a single, unified storage location that ensures atomicity during sudden power-off events, as all data is written to one region simultaneously
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the memory system into distinct regions: normal memory regions for sorted data storage and a separate temporal memory region for SPO handling. This segmentation allows each region to serve its specific function - the normal regions maintain data organization efficiency while the temporal region guarantees atomicity during power failures
2Stability of the object's composition
If larger capacitors are used to stabilize power during SPO, then power stability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful effect of power instability during SPO into a beneficial outcome by using the unsorted temporal memory region to store all data chunks. Instead of trying to prevent power fluctuations with large capacitors, the system accepts the power instability but ensures data integrity through the unified temporal storage approach, thereby reducing capacitor requirements while maintaining reliability
3Stability of the object's composition
If data chunks are buffered and sorted by type before storage, then data organization is improved, but shut-down time increases due to the sorting process
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary sorting of data chunks during normal operation and stores the sorted data in the temporal memory region in advance. When sudden power-off occurs, the system only needs to write the already-sorted data to the temporal region without performing sorting operations during the critical shut-down period, thereby reducing shut-down time while maintaining data organization
Data Source
AI summary
A controller controls a memory device. The controller includes a buffer buffering one or more data chunks received from a host until the one or more data chunk is stored in the memory device, and a processor sorting and storing, according to data types of the one or more data chunks, the one or more data chunks buffered in the buffer in a plurality of memory regions of the memory device in a normal operation, the plurality of memory regions respectively corresponding to a plurality of data types. In response to a sudden power-off (SPO), the processor generates map data indicating a relationship between the one or more data chunks and the plurality of memory regions, generates a data string by merging the one or more data chunks, and stores the data string and the map data in a temporal memory region of the memory device.